


Pieces of Your Soul

by LunaRavenclaw9



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Light Angst, Misunderstandings, Soulmate Puzzle, Soulmates, but not really, slightly canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:21:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22690930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaRavenclaw9/pseuds/LunaRavenclaw9
Summary: Each new piece of the puzzle reveals more of your Soulmate.Hermione makes her way through Hogwarts and all the trials and tribulations that come with, while also trying to piece together who her Soulmate is. Will she figure it out before the last piece finally reveals all?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Charlie Weasley
Comments: 47
Kudos: 160
Collections: Hermione's Nook RarePair Soulmate Fest, Love Fest 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheDolphinAnimagus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDolphinAnimagus/gifts).



> This is written for Hermione's Nook RarePair Soulmate fest
> 
> My prompt was: you earn a puzzle piece for every major life event you go through, the finished puzzle reveals who your Soulmate is
> 
> I want to thank my beta [MamaBear2629](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamaBear2629) for her help! I would also like to thank [Alya_Chloris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alya_Chloris) for her help in furthering the plot when I got myself stuck!! Love you ladies <3<3 any remaining mistakes are all mine!

September, 1990

2 puzzle pieces

Hermione Granger decided right then and there that she hated Sundays. It was always the day Jean Granger militantly ordered her family about as they cleaned the house. If there was a speck of dust left in their front room, she would be grounded for the rest of the night. 

_Why do I always have to clean this room_ , she thought as she stretched out her arm and raised up on her tiptoes trying to dust the top of the bookshelf. Not quite reaching, she relaxed back with a huff and let her eyes travel across the room searching for something to help her reach the top of the shelf. Nothing seemed like it would be useful until her mother’s favorite blue gingham footstool came into view. 

Her mum would be so mad if she found her standing on it, but the dusting had to get finished somehow. With a quick peek down the hallway to make sure her mother was nowhere around, she pushed the stool into place as quietly as possible and climbed on top. 

She made quick work of the rest of the bookshelf and made to hop down from the footstool until the doorbell rang. Hermione froze mid-step as her eyes grew wide and she whipped her head around towards the entrance of the room. Footsteps from above finally spurred her into action. 

Vaulting off the stool, Hermione yelled, “I’ve got it.” 

She quickly skidded to a halt about halfway to the door as she remembered the stool was still out of place. Muttering under her breath, _stupid stupid stupid,_ she turned and shoved the stool back towards her mother’s chair. Her father appeared on the stairs as she raced by on her way to the door.

“Slow down before you hurt yourself, little dove,” he said with a chuckle as she rushed past him. “And wipe that dust off of your forehead before you answer the door.”

Scrubbing her forehead with the sleeve of her jumper, Hermione paused to collect herself -taking a deep breath before she opened the door to a severe looking woman dressed in odd but beautiful clothes. Her maroon dress looked like it was made in the Victorian era but it was still stylish and fit the woman’s figure well. The navy cloak she wore over it should have been impractical but instead seemed to complete the outfit.

The woman’s face softened and relaxed into a welcoming smile that seemed to infuse her whole persona with a warmth that had been missing when the young girl first caught sight of her. “You must be Hermione,” she said as she clasped her hands together in front of her. “May I speak with your parents please? My name is Minerva McGonagall and I have some interesting news for all of you.”

Without taking her eyes off the woman, Hermione called behind her, “Dad, could you come to the door please?”

He walked down the few remaining stairs and she opened the door a little wider so he could stand next to her. With a polite smile, he extended a hand out to the woman in their doorway and said, “Hello, I’m Richard Granger, how can we help you?”

“Mr. Granger, my name is Minerva McGonagall. I am the Deputy Headmistress of a prestigious school to which your daughter has been accepted. I was wondering if I could come in, explain a few things about our school and hopefully gain your permission for her to attend.”

Hermione looked up at her dad and watched his face morph into a look of confusion as he replied, “Ma’am, we didn’t turn in any applications for Hermione to go to a different school. My wife and I are perfectly happy with where she is now.”

“Her name has been on our waiting list for a very long time, sir, and I promise things will make a bit more sense if you would let me in so we can talk.” 

Hermione couldn’t explain how she knew, but this woman was going to start her on an adventure of a lifetime. She felt something resonate deep within her - this woman was going to show her exactly why she felt like she didn’t belong. Hermione’s whole life, it seemed like she was missing a piece of herself. There was something inside of her that she couldn’t reach that sometimes surfaced when she least expected it.

It was the way she absorbed the knowledge of any book she read. It was how her bullies woke up with a horrible rash on their face the day after they made fun of her. The things she couldn’t find a logical explanation for.

“Could we at least listen to what she has to say, Dad?” Hermione asked. 

Richard glanced down at his daughter, his eyebrows drew together as he studied her. She tried to wordlessly convey how eager she was to learn about this school. After a few moments he ran a loving hand down her hair and smiled. “Sure, little dove. Show our guest to the living room while I get your mother and start the tea kettle.”

As Hermione beckoned the woman to come inside and follow her, she asked, “so, what is your school like, ma’am?” 

“Such manners,” McGonagall said with a chuckle. “You may call me Professor McGonagall or just Professor, dear.” While following the girl into the living room, instead of answering the question she replied, “it would be better to wait for your parents before I answer that in full, but I can say, it’s unlike any school you have ever been to or heard of before.”

Settling on the couch after she let the professor choose a seat, Hermione studied the woman before her who seemed content to also sit and observe. There wasn’t any attempt to start a conversation from either of the two but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. As they waited for her parents, Hermione tried to figure out which school the woman was from. 

“Quit Looking so broodish, young lady,” her mother snapped in her no-nonsense tone. “You were supposed to be entertaining our guest until we finished the tea.” Looking towards the other woman, she softened her tone and held out her hand as she introduced herself, “sorry my daughter was being rude, I promise I am trying to raise her better. My name is Jean Granger, Mrs McGonagall.”

“Oh no, she wasn’t rude at all. I enjoyed watching her work through whatever was on her mind. You have a very bright young lady here and I believe my school can help cultivate and improve upon her brilliance.”

McGonagall ripped off the proverbial band aid very quickly, wasting no more time in telling the Grangers that Hermione was a witch. She tried to explain, in between outbursts from Jean and Richard, how their daughter’s name had been in the Book of Admittance since her first bout of accidental magic. Jean threatened to throw the professor out of their house when McGonagall told them they would not be allowed on school grounds due to their muggle status. She never once let the Granger’s anger disrupt her calm demeanor. For most of her speech, she watched Hermione's reactions. 

Her parents finally seemed to deflate once the information sank in, their anger retreating. There were several instances where McGonagall’s information shed light on a few questionable situations Hermione was involved in growing up. 

Gathering her courage, the young girl squared her shoulders and gazed at McGonagall as confusion and hope warred on her face, “Is that why I’ve never felt like I fit in?”

“Of course it is, dear girl, there is magic in you that wants to be used. It wants to grow and be around other magic. It is reaching out to your soulmate. Didn’t you ever wonder where your puzzle pieces came from? I usually get asked about the mysterious puzzle by now.”

At that question, Hermione felt her face fall. Annoyance and hurt quickly replaced the hope she had been feeling. She couldn’t believe she almost fell for this woman’s lies. Puzzle pieces? There were no mysterious puzzle pieces. 

Before Hermione could do or say anything, McGonagall’s calm demeanor quickly morphed into exasperation. She quickly sat her teacup down with a huff.

“You mean to tell me, your daughter has never even seen her soulmate puzzle? She should have felt the pull of it’s magic at least.” The professor stopped and closed her eyes as she collected herself. She took a few deep breaths, looking quite tired all of a sudden as she opened her eyes. The professor took off her half-moon spectacles and massaged the bridge of her nose before replacing them. “I’m sorry for becoming angry but never in my years of doing this has any muggle-born ever not seen their puzzle.”

Jean spoke up with a tremor in her voice, “I didn’t know what the puzzle pieces were. They felt unnatural. From the moment Richard found the first two pieces I knew there was something different about them. I didn’t know why we would receive more but every time two more showed up I would lock them in a box. I keep it on the highest shelf in the hall closet.”

Hermione’s jaw dropped as Professor McGonagall sat up straighter and began to lecture her mother. “Those puzzle pieces felt unnatural to you because they aren’t meant for you. If you had given them to your daughter, as you were supposed to, she may not have had so many bouts of accidental magic.”

Turning to Hermione she briefly explained, “we have found that muggle-born witches and wizards who come into regular contact with their Soulmate puzzles tend to have less accidental flares of magic during times of high stress. The puzzles seem to calm their magic.”

The woman primly picked her teacup up again and took a small sip before she continued, “Every witch and wizard is born with a soulmate. Unfortunately, not everyone actually meets theirs. From birth, witches and wizards receive two puzzle pieces for each major life event they go through. Between their seventeenth and twentieth birthdays, they will receive the last puzzle pieces and it will be confirmed who their Soulmate is. The puzzle sizes and amount of time it takes to complete a puzzle aren’t always the same due to the amount of milestones and life changing events the person goes through.”

A flash of mild irritation crossed her face as she pulled out an intricately carved piece of wood and looked towards Hermione’s mother, “I am going to summon the box now Mrs Granger, because it is your daughter’s right to have her Soulmate puzzle in her possession.”

Hermione watched with awe as the professor delicately swished the wooden stick through the air in front of her and moments later the box landed safely onto her outstretched hand. McGonagall offered the object to Hermione who, after receiving an encouraging nod, hesitantly reached out and cradled the mahogany box in both hands.

Once she settled back into her chair, the box rattled twice before it popped open. She slowly trailed her fingertips across the puzzle pieces that were revealed and gasped as a tingle of magic zinged up her arm and spread through her whole body.

  
  
  


Hermione, with the help of McGonagall, convinced the elder Grangers that it would be in everyone’s best interest to let her transfer to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry so she could learn to use and hone her magic. After the connection she felt from the puzzle pieces, she knew that she would do anything to enter the magical world and learn everything she could about this unknown side of herself.

Hermione walked the professor out and stood at the door thinking about all the information she had been given today. She shook herself out of her thoughts and quietly shut the door. Looking down at the box still in her arms, she hugged it to her chest and moved towards her room. She heard her parents' protests as she jogged up the stairs. Taking them two at a time she fled into her sanctuary and quickly shut the door. 

Once inside, the need to put her puzzle together pulled at her. But she really wanted to read the letter professor McGonagall had given her. The woman had said it held her acceptance letter, school supply list, and the train ticket she would need to get on the train to school. There was also a note attached to the ticket that explained how she was supposed to get on the special platform that only those from the magical world could enter.

Her hand brushed over the top of the ornate box her mother had placed the puzzle pieces in and she felt the contents respond to what she now knew was her magic. Instead of opening the letter first, she haphazardly cleared her desk of the few bits of clutter that littered the top so she could set the box down and open it. One, two, three...counting each piece as she lined them up in front of her. There were forty-two pieces in total. 

Hermione threw her hand up to cover her eyes as a blue light suddenly flared next to the puzzle pieces. A yellowed envelope materialized as the light faded as quickly as it had appeared. Hermione reached out to pick up the envelope with a shaking hand. She cracked the wax seal open and caught two more puzzle pieces as they fell out of the parchment.

That night, Hermione dreamed of magical spells, large castles, and a hazy spectre that radiated love and companionship.

***

September, 1991

50 puzzle pieces

Hermione slipped away as soon as Percy pointed towards the first year girls dorm. Making her way up the staircase until she found the right door, she eagerly pushed through to find her trunk and start unpacking. At the sight of the four-poster beds decorated in deep reds and gold, she couldn’t help but let out a squeal of delight. 

Her back was to the door, but she heard her four roommates loudly burst into the room as she finished stacking her school books on the desk next to her bed. At the sudden absence of their giggles, Hermione snapped her head around. They stood in a line just inside the door staring at her with smug looks, their arms folded across their chests. 

“We wondered where you had gotten off to,” the blonde said as she stepped towards Hermione, “We hoped one of our housemates hadn’t gotten lost, already. That could have made our whole house look bad.”

The girl looked her over, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Hermione didn’t feel like she quite measured up to the expectations of the snobby pre-teen who stood in front of her. She looked past the mean girl, her eyes landing on each of the other three girls and she realized she probably wasn’t going to make any friends in this room.

Putting on her best fake smile she replied in a stuck-up tone, “Good thing I wasn’t lost then, isn’t it?”

She flicked her hair over her shoulder with a snap before she spun around to grab her copy of _Hogwarts, A History_ and climbed into bed. Glancing at the other girls one more time, she noticed them slack-jawed, staring at her. Hermione noticed the one who confronted her hadn’t moved; her cheeks bright red with anger. With a bored look, she pulled the ties that kept her curtains open and let them fall shut. She closed her eyes as she tried to remember the wand-lighting charm. Picturing her Charms book, she flipped through her memories until she found what she was looking for. Hermione loved her eidetic memory, but she learned very quickly that the other kids could and would make fun of her for it.

She waved her wand in the loop formation shown in the textbook while she whispered the spell, _Lumos_. A tingle of magic rushed up her arm, same as it had each time she’d practiced at home before the start of school. An envelope appeared in the glow, the light at the tip of her wand revealing the delivery of her new puzzle pieces. 

She leaned towards the closed curtains and heard her roommates gossiping and giggling together, getting to know each other. It was disappointing being an outsider again, Hermione had really hoped to make friends in this new chapter of her life. She leaned past her curtain on the opposite side and pulled her Soulmate puzzle out of the wardrobe where it was hidden beneath her neatly folded jumpers. She knew everyone had a puzzle but hers wasn’t something she wanted to share with everyone, especially not the little snots she was being forced to room with.

Her new puzzle pieces slid out of the envelope with a hiss. Another tingle of magic danced across her skin when they landed in her hand, suppressing a shiver at the slight tickle. Just like with every other new piece she received, her mind wandered through the events of the day as Hermione tried to figure out what event brought her another step closer to her Soulmate.

Maybe gaining entry to Platform 9 ¾ earned her these two. It could have been crossing the Black Lake and seeing Hogwarts for the first time. Meeting her first ghost. 

A smile played across her lips as she replayed her day. She knew getting sorted was the reason she had earned these pieces. She went through a lot of new experiences today but hearing the Sorting Hat tell her she belonged in Gryffindor was definitely the most life altering experience today. She had wanted to be sorted into this house so bad but didn’t think she would be found brave enough. A smile ghosted across her face as she remembered the Hat reminding her there was a fire that burned within her.

It didn’t take long for her to find where these two new pieces fit in her puzzle. She felt each bump and ripple as she traced the edges with her fingers. With a start she realized she had the edge of the puzzle half finished already. She tried to guess what the background was, somewhere outside maybe. The only color really visible was a beautiful blue. 

Visions of scarlet trains and sentient hats blurred in Hermione’s dreams that night. In the background, always watching was the spectre that radiated love and companionship. It seemed to move closer with each new puzzle piece that was added. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Come find me on tumblr, though I don’t use it much yet](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/scarycat23)


	2. Chapter 2

November, 1994

104 puzzle pieces

“Harry, what are we doing out here?” Hermione hissed as she fussed with his invisibility cloak. Soon Harry wouldn’t be able to fit anyone but himself underneath it, even now the two of them were pushing it to its limits.

She watched him scan the darkness around them before he replied, “Hagrid told me to meet him out here under the cloak. Something to do with the first task of the Tournament.” He nudged Hermione with his shoulder and continued, “Since you’re the smartest person I know, I wanted you here with me so maybe we can work on a strategy that will keep me alive.”

Hermione levelled one of her famous glares at him as she berated in her no-nonsense tone, “You are NOT going to die, Harry James Potter. Come hell or high water, I am going to make sure you survive.” With a wry smile she added, “besides, you can’t miss our OWLs and that means you are going to have to live through next school year at the very least.”

The two friends chuckled at the bad joke, both finding it more funny than they should have. They relished any attempt at humor in these worrying times. Harry elbowed Hermione in her ribs and pointed towards their left where she could faintly make out Hagrid and Madame Maxime coming into view. She slowly brought her giggles under control before they were close enough to hear. Invisibility cloak or not, Harry and Hermione still had to worry about being heard.

“What is she doing here?” Harry whispered while tugging on her robe to get her to start following the two adults.

She pulled the cloak closer to make sure it didn’t snag on anything and replied just as quietly, “I’m not sure, but I bet we find out.”

  
  
  


They walked the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest for three quarters of an hour before Hermione started to lose her patience. “If Hagrid brought you out here just to watch his date, I am going to be so mad at him! Doesn’t he know it’s after curfew and we have homework and a Triwizard task to get you ready for?” 

The two teenagers were turning to head back to the castle, Hermione had finally convinced Harry this journey was a fruitless one, when Hagrid raised his voice and said, “Watch your step Olympe, we have to head into the forest for the surprise I was telling you about.” 

As he helped Madame Maxime make her way into the trees, both teens saw him look around like he was trying to find someone else in the dark, he pointed towards the forest and then turned back towards his date, continuing to speak at an obscenely loud volume, “Just a little ways into the trees now, not much farther at all.”

Harry and Hermione looked at each other in trepidation, this was what they had been waiting for. She felt his nerves, the way he grabbed her hand and held on tight, as they continued their path into the forest.

A clearing materialized deep in the maze of trees. Hermione tried to capture Harry’s attention but he was too busy concentrating on the clearing in front of them. As Hermione focused on it, she realized there was something large moving around in the middle of it. A resonating roar blasted through the quiet night. Harry tightened his grip on Hermione’s hand to an almost crushing embrace while she tried to control the squeak of fear and pain that threatened to let loose.

Skirting around the adults, the duo moved closer to the paddock that held the creatures so they could get a better look. As a large, black dragon came into view, Hermione’s feet felt glued to the ground, the nails of her other hand biting into Harry’s arm and pulling him to a stop. The dragon extended itself to its full height in a rage and let out another roar. Hermione could feel the ground under her feet tremble with the vibrating bass of it.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a dragon keeper speaking to Hagrid. She listened in as he explained that this was a Hungarian Horntail, one of the meanest dragons around. The world seemed to fall away as Hermione finally paid attention to the man speaking. Even from a distance he was attractive. She felt drawn to this man in a way she had never been to anyone before.

The pool of light from one of the torches lit the dragon keeper just enough for Hermione to appreciate his rugged features as she watched the handsome man laugh at something Hagrid. She couldn’t help but appreciate the striking image he cut as he threw his head back with a peal of laughter.

“Harry, do you know who is talking to Hagrid?” She heard herself while trying to take in as many details about the man as she could.

He squinted over to where Hermione was facing and after a moment replied, “Charlie, Ron’s brother.” As Hermione continued to watch the dragon tamer Harry continued, “Don’t you remember talking to him when he and his friends came to pick up Norbert? I mean, Norberta.”

“I knew it was Ron’s brother that night, but I couldn’t get a good look at them with their cloaking spell in place. It was as if the hood of their cloaks had turned into swirling shadows or something.” While Hermione spoke, the man looked over towards where she and Harry stood as if he knew someone was there. 

She watched his eyes flick back and forth searching the darkness before he shook his head and turned away. Letting out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, her gaze lingered on his bum as he jogged over to help subdue a giant red dragon who had started to shoot giant fireballs into the air.

“Come on ‘Mione, let’s head back. I think Hagrid forgot I was here,” Harry whispered into her ear. She glanced towards their friend and saw him staring dreamily towards the dangerous creatures in front of him. The Beauxbatons Headmistress was also staring at them, a look of disbelief and slight horror written all over her face.

On their way back to the castle, Hermione pulled Harry off the path and behind a tree. She pressed a finger to his lips when he tried to protest, and pointed to the figure that was hurrying down the path in the opposite direction. What was Karkaroff doing wandering around the forbidden forest? And how had he known to come this way? 

Hermione really tried to concentrate on the tizzy Harry was working himself into but keeping them out of the path of Filch, Mrs Norris, and Professor Snape as they patrolled the school took most of her attention. She tried to keep the rest of her attention on Harry but she had a hard time pulling her mind out of the forest and away from the second eldest Weasley brother.

  
  
  


The Fat Lady woke up with a start when an invisible entity yelled the password to her. They didn’t take the invisibility cloak off until after their scramble through the portrait hole. You never knew who would be walking the corridors and it was better to be safe than chance detention. Knowing Harry was working himself into another rant, Hermione turned and laid a hand on his arm. In a calm voice, she tried to reason, “Harry, there isn’t anything we can do about this right now. It is late and no amount of worrying or talking strategy is going to get you anywhere tonight. Let’s try to go to bed and I promise, I will help you tomorrow during our free period.”

Harry finally gave in, but only because he yawned so hard his jaw popped in the middle of his argument. Finally, both of them were trudging up their respective staircase toward their dormitories. She opened the door and moved to her four-poster bed, going through her sleep routine on auto-pilot. She opened the curtain after changing into her pyjamas and found an envelope laying on top of her pillow. She reverently traced her fingertips across the parchment before breaking the seal and sliding four new puzzle pieces into her hand, feeling the thrill that still came with each new delivery for her Soulmate puzzle.

She tried to keep herself awake so she could think about which events from the day may have earned her two sets of pieces, but even though she fought it her eyes eventually drifted closed. 

That night Hermione dreamed of dragons and fire. Instead of fear she felt comfort and warmth as if the dragon in her dreams were protecting her.

***

December, 1994

114 puzzle pieces

Hermione had to come up with an answer for Viktor. The patience he had shown all week would wear thin eventually. She really shouldn’t keep him waiting just because she hoped someone else would ask her.

She snapped her curtains shut and warded them with a silencing charm in two precise waves of her wand. Once ensconced in the safety of her four-poster bed, another wave of her wand revealed her Soulmate puzzle. The concealment charm was a handy one, Hermione knew it wasn’t part of the curriculum for fourth years but Professor Flitwick had told her she was more than welcome to read ahead whenever she had extra time.

She used her thumb to trace the red tufts of hair that had been part of her two newest pieces. Her eyes trail over the sparse details of her puzzle, a background of some trees and what might be part of a dark shirt are all she could make out before. But these two pieces. The red hair. It has to mean Ron.

She lifted her gaze to the canopy of her bed as she tried to hold back her tears. If she and Ron were Soulmates why hadn’t he asked her to the Yule ball yet? Her trademark, bushy curls should have been all over his puzzle from the first piece to the last - her hair is almost its own entity after all. 

She let her eyes fall shut, took a deep breath and tried to release the pain she felt. It wasn’t Ron’s fault he was an oblivious git - well maybe it was his fault a little bit. But, just because he was oblivious, that didn’t mean she had to pine for him. She shouldn’t have to wait for him to notice her when there was already someone else who did.

With a new resolve, she opened her eyes and straightened her spine. She’d made her decision. Hermione was going to tell Viktor that she would love to go to the ball with him. He didn’t have to be her Soulmate for her to appreciate how fit he was. It was high time she let loose and had some fun.

***

Two weeks later

120 puzzle pieces

“Oi, Hermione, you’re a girl.” Ron said, a look of wonder and hope lit his face as if he’d found the answer to every question about life, death, and the universe.

“How astute Ron, it only took you four years to realize, did it?” Hermione deadpanned, her gaze never lifting from the book in front of her. She really hoped Madam Pince didn’t hear how loud Ron was being.

It took most of her willpower to not grumble out loud as he dropped into the seat to her left and abruptly turned to face her, “No, but listen ‘Mione, you’re a _girl_.”

“I believe we’ve established my gender Ron, let’s please move on.” Hermione grit her teeth and barely refrained from lashing out at him in frustration, where was he even going with this conversation?

“But, don’t you see, this solves everything. I still need a date to the Yule ball, you can go with me! It’s perfect.”

Her jaw dropped and her eyes snapped to his as she felt her anger rise. She watched the obliviously exuberant smile melt off his face, replaced by a look of uncertainty tainted with a hint of fear. His freckles stood out even more as he visibly paled at the look on Hermione’s face.

“Perfect. Ronald. You think that would be perfect?” Spitting the words at him as if they were daggers. “Well, I’m sorry to ruin your perfectly last minute plans but I am already going to the ball with someone.” She stood up abruptly and knocked her chair over. “Next time there is an event, I suggest you don’t wait until the last minute to find a date because I will NOT be waiting for you.”

Hermione tossed her belongings into her school bag and threw one last scathing look towards Ron before she stalked out of the library. Fuming, she took the shortest way known to the common room thankfully running into no one on her journey. Fred tried to stop her as she blazed through the portrait hole but she shrugged him off and fled to the safety of the girls dorm and her four-poster bed. 

With the curtains closed and silenced, the tears she’d held in far too long finally fell. After she was all cried out, she lifted her head from her pillow and noticed an envelope with two new puzzle pieces sitting on the edge of her bed. She really couldn’t handle another reminder of her heartbreak right now so she slid the envelope into the back of her wardrobe where her puzzle was hidden.

That night her dreams were unfocused and disorienting. The spectre seemed further away tonight than it ever had before. Hermione tried to reach out and call it back but she seemed unable to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Come find me on tumblr, though I don’t use it much yet](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/scarycat23)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it has been so long! life happened along with a fickle muse but thankfully a few people helped me kick my muse back into gear and here is the new chapter. The final two are plotted out and just need to be written. Hoping to start working on them soon so I don't leave everyone waiting too long for another update again.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

December, 1995

210 Puzzle Pieces

Arthur Weasley was finally home. Hermione could almost see the joy manifesting as it rolled off the Weasley family in waves, filling Grimmauld Place. She couldn’t keep herself from wondering if he should have stayed a few more days in the Creature Induced Injury Ward, her concerned gaze taking in his pale complexion and weakened state. It was apparent he was nowhere near his usual strength as he clutched onto Molly’s arm on his way into the kitchen for their late Christmas celebration. He settled into his seat at the head of the table with a groan of relief. 

“It is so good to be surrounded by my family and friends.” Even his voice was weaker than usual but there was no missing the happiness that colored his tone. As his gaze narrowed on the raven haired boy who stood across the room from him, he continued, “I cannot thank you enough, Harry. There is no way to repay the fact that my family is still whole because of you.”

Hermione watched Harry’s face bloom a fierce red as he replied, “The best way to repay me is to never scare us like that again.” Eyes darting around the room as he cleared his throat, “Uh, so, let’s celebrate Christmas. We, err, we may be two days late, but Mr Weasley being home gives us even more reason to celebrate and I know Mrs Weasley has cooked us up a huge feast.”

A smatter of applause broke out across the room, one of the twins could be heard whistling as the other shouted, “Hear, hear,” making Harry’s cheeks heat to an even more crimson color. It looked as though he wanted to melt into the wall to get away from all the attention. 

With an intake of breath, Hermione got ready to turn some of the attention onto herself. Before she even got a word out, the kitchen door banged open and every head in the room turned towards the newcomer. Hermione’s chest tightened as she caught a glimpse of the handsome redhead standing in the doorway. One she hadn’t seen for over a year, and never within this close proximity.

“Oh good, I made it in time. You haven’t started eating yet.” Charlie Weasley sauntered his way into the room and scooped Mrs Weasley up into a bone crushing hug. After finally releasing his mother who was trying to discreetly wipe tears away as she laughed at his antics, he lightly patted his dad on the shoulder seeming to barely touch the older man. 

Hermione couldn’t take her eyes off of him. As Charlie turned to give the twins a hug, her leering was rewarded by a view of his tight backside. She didn’t know when Harry had joined her, but suddenly he was right next to her. She could hear the laughter in his voice as he whispered, “Can’t blame you for finding Charlie fit, though I’m a bit partial to Bill myself.”

“What? Well, I...no, see I wasn’t,” Hermione muttered, stumbling over an attempt to deny Harry’s claim. With a sigh of defeat, she turned towards him. Even though she knew he was just giving her a hard time her cheeks were still tinged pink at being caught staring. “Was I really being that obvious?”

Harry shrugged as he replied, “Not really. Everyone is too excited Charlie finally made it, I know Mrs Weasley was really worried he wasn’t going to.”

“Harry, if you noticed, then I’m sure someone else did too,” she said, but as she looked around the table they all seemed to be wrapped up in their own conversations. 

Molly had started bringing the food out, the twins had cornered Sirius near the fireplace and were animatedly explaining something to him. Bill and Charlie were halfway down the table in what seemed like an intense conversation. Bill suddenly looked up and locked eyes with her, she couldn’t seem to look away even though she hadn’t wanted to get caught staring at them. 

As Charlie turned to see what had caught Bill’s attention, Hermione finally broke eye contact with Bill. She noticed the Malfoy worthy smirk that graced Harry’s face when she looked at her friend again, his gaze bouncing between her and the two brothers who sat a few chairs down and across the table from them. 

Burying her face in her hands, Hermione groaned, “Harry, you really aren’t very subtle, you know that?”

“Never said I was,” he replied smugly. 

Hermione peeked up from between her fingers and found her best friend was staring at her, obvious glee twinkling in his eye. He really was getting too much joy out of her embarrassment. Although, it was probably because only moments ago he was the one being highly embarrassed, in front of an entire room no less. 

“I don’t know why I put up with you, you’re insufferable.” She took another glance around the table to make sure there was still really no one paying any attention to them before spearing Harry with a curious glance, “So, did you think I would forget about you admitting Bill is what does it for you, huh?

Harry burst into a fit of laughter and all heads turned to look at the pair of them. Hermione nudged him playfully for attracting so much attention as both of their cheeks burned with embarrassment yet again. 

***

“What are you doing up this late?”

With a squeal she wouldn’t be proud of once her heart stopped pounding, Hermione spun towards the voice. Her eyes popped wide when she noticed it was Charlie standing in the doorway clad in only his pajama bottoms. She fumbled for something to say, fidgeting with the oversized sweater she had thrown over her own pajamas before coming downstairs.

“Oh, umm.. I couldn’t sleep and.. so, umm....” Inwardly cringing at how she was stumbling over her words like a love sick teenager, Hermione remembered the milk she was warming behind her. 

“I was making hot chocolate,” she finally said while turning towards the pot. Shrieking once she saw the milk bubbling over, she reached forward. Her fingertips were suddenly burning hot. With some colorful, choice words, Hermione moved to the sink and quickly ran the burnt appendages under cold water, wishing the floor would swallow her whole, right now.

Charlie was suddenly right next to her, “Shite, are you ok? Here, let me take a look, I am quite good with burns you know.”

The cocky smirk he tried to give couldn’t completely hide his concern as he took her hand gently in his and examined the burns after he turned the faucet off. She wasn’t quite sure where his wand had come from, but he was quickly holding it above her hand as he looked into her eyes with an unspoken question. She was lost in the dark chocolate color for a moment, such a contrast to her own honeyed brown she found herself thinking, until his thumb stroking across her palm brought her back to the present. Without breaking his gaze, she gave a small nod.

His magic felt like sinking into a warm bath. As the spell flowed from his wand, it became a soothing balm that took away the pain shooting through her fingertips. Hermione’s eyes fluttered shut as a happy sigh rumbled through her. The spell receded, taking with it the soothing sensation and leaving Hermione feeling a small buzz of energy, almost as if she had taken a pepper-up potion.

Charlie’s hand tightened slightly around hers before he cleared his throat and took a step away, their fingers sliding apart as he did. “Looks like you’ve mucked up the cocoa. How about I get us some fixed up? I make it just like mum.”

Hermione wanted to protest, but as she surveyed the now ruined pot of milk she had been warming, she decided to not waste the effort. If for some reason Charlie Weasley wanted to make some of his mum’s hot chocolate for her at one o’clock in the morning, who was she to question it?

She pulled on some of the courage that made the Sorting hat decide to put her into Gryffindor as she sat at the table near where Charlie was working and asked, “So, working with dragons you probably have to be really adept at healing burns, huh?”

With the question now out there, Hermione realized how stupid it sounded. Of course you would have to be good at healing burns, and if you weren’t you probably learned really quickly. The urge to bang her head on the table increased with each second of silence until the rumble of Charlie laughing reached her ears.

“Oh, you’d think. But, no, some of us learn the hard way.” He looked over his shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows at her, “I don’t have all these scars just because they add to my already ruggedly handsome features. No, it takes finesse to heal anything well enough so that it doesn’t scar and that definitely took me a lot of practice.”

He sprinkled cinnamon over the top of the mugs with a flourish before he made his way to the table and slid Hermione hers as he sat across from her.

“This one here,” he said, pointing to a long scar just under his left collar bone, “is from the Hungarian Horntail after the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. She was mighty angry after Harry outflew her and retrieved the golden egg. Little bugger got me with her tail as we tried to put her to sleep so we could transport her back to the reserve.”

If he noticed Hermione staring at his chest a little longer than would be considered polite, he didn’t comment on it, which suited her fine. She was sure he had tons of girls who fawned all over him wherever he went. Someone like her with bushy hair and a teenage crush probably wasn’t even a blip on his radar anyway. Even so, it was kind of him to heal her burn and make her the chocolate after she ruined the first batch.

As he told her some of the wilder stories from his time on the reserve, he coaxed some of the tales of her adventures with Harry and Ron at school. Hermione felt a little bad laughing with him at Ron’s expense when she told him how his little brother tried to fight off the Devil’s Snare in first year after they fell down the trap door. When she told him how she was petrified in second year, his eyes widened.

“Wow, if you hadn’t found the answer you may not have used a mirror to look around the corner. You.. you could have died, Hermione. What were… well that’s just not.. how could Dumbledore have kept the school open with something like that roaming around in the pipes? And it was Ginny who’d unknowingly let it loose… Hermione, you have to be more careful.” 

Charlie had kicked back from the table and started pacing, but suddenly he stopped right in front of her, “I mean it Hermione, you have to be careful.”

Surprised at his outburst, she replied with a little more force than usual, “It's not like I go looking for any of this. I tend to follow Harry or Ron into it to keep them from killing themselves or others. And I’m not going to abandon my best friends just because a situation is dangerous. What sort of person could do such a thing and live with themselves?”

All the energy that had been rolling off of Charlie seemed to dissipate as he stood there and looked at her. “No, you’re right. You can’t abandon your friends in a time of need. That’s not who you are.”

Suddenly he looked very tired as he scrubbed his hands over his face. Giving Hermione a wistful look he said, “Just try to be careful as you run into danger alongside your friends. You will want to be a part of the future that Dumbledore and the Order, and it seems in a lot of ways Harry, you, and Ron, are trying to make a reality.”

Without waiting for a reply he turned and walked out of the kitchen. Hermione sat back and swirled the dregs of her cocoa trying to puzzle out how the conversation had turned so serious. She thought they were swapping war stories. Of course some of his close calls with dragons had scared her, but she wasn’t going to lecture him about his life when she had no right to. Who was he to tell her to be careful when he worked in danger every day? Plus, he was a part of a secret organization working without the Ministry of Magic’s knowledge, let alone their permission.

The more Hermione thought about it, the more she figured Charlie’s lecture was probably because he thought of her like a little sister, she was running into trouble with his youngest brother most of the time. That explained why he got so upset. Maybe..

  
  
  


Hermione made her way up to the room she was sharing with Ginny, careful not to wake the other girl as she climbed into bed. Even with the weird way their interaction had ended, she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as she remembered the way Charlie’s magic tingled through her body. If she wasn’t already half asleep, she would have noticed the small flare of magic in the corner of the room where her trunk was being stored. It would seem that new pieces of her Soulmate puzzle had been delivered without her knowledge. 

***

June, 1996   
250 Puzzle Pieces

Slowly floating to consciousness, Hermione realized she was in an unfamiliar bed. There was a low murmur somewhere off to her left, what sounded like multiple voices. As she struggled to place exactly where she was, the smell of antiseptic hit her nose. Only a medical ward would have that distinct smell. A throbbing pain shot across her ribs as she tried to sit up and get a better look at the room she was in. She couldn’t prevent the small grunt of discomfort as she laid back down on the bed.

Pieces of the night flashed past her closed eyelids. Harry’s vision of Voldemort torturing Sirius. The decision to go to the Ministry of Magic. Battling the Death Eaters that were there. She’d been hit with a curse, something she’d never seen before. She still wasn’t sure exactly where she was so as the voices to her left started to come closer, Hermione pretended to still be asleep. Maybe she could figure out who was there with her at least.

“...believe the only reason she is alive is because the spell was silenced.” A voice Hermione couldn’t place uttered.

“Will there be any permanent damage?” The voice of Charlie Weasley almost shocked her enough to forget she was pretending to be asleep.

“Only the scar. Magic that dark will always leave a mark. There is nothing else we can do to make it less prominent either.”

Hermione heard Charlie settle down in what she assumed was a visitors chair near her bed since his voice sounded much closer as he replied, “Scars only make people more beautiful, weaving tales of bravery and survival. There is nothing wrong with scars as long as she won’t have any other permanent complications from the curse.” The sounds of a chair being dragged closer were unmistakable. As a large, warm hand enveloped hers laying on top of the covers, the low hum of anxious awareness that always thrummed unknown in her body, quieted.

She tried to listen to more, but her exhausted, healing body had other plans. She drifted back into a deep sleep, finally feeling safe for the first time in a long time. 

When she woke up the next morning, she looked over to where she’d heard his voice last night, but only saw an empty chair. Hermione wondered if she’d dreamt the entire thing, or maybe it was a hallucination brought on by the pain potions she had been given. It might not have even been Charlie’s voice, she’d never actually seen him after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Come find me on tumblr, though I don’t use it much yet](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/scarycat23)

**Author's Note:**

> [Come find me on tumblr, though I don’t use it much yet](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/scarycat23)


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